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A hammam, or public steam bath, is a unique and social experience found in many parts of the Middle East. The concept originated in the Ottoman Empire and was introduced to Europeans in Turkey. The hammam includes four sections: a warming room, hot room, cold plunge, and cooling room. It is a ritual bathing site and a central place for many communities, with important events still celebrated there. Hamams are segregated by gender, but people from all walks of life are welcome. They often offer massages and beauty tasks, and some are ancient and beautiful with landscaped gardens and restaurants.
A hammam is a public steam bath. Hamams were especially loved in the Ottoman Empire and can be found today in many parts of the Middle East. Europeans were first introduced to the concept of hamams in Turkey, which is why such baths are known as “Turkish baths” in many parts of the world. The hamam experience is quite unique and well worth it if you happen to visit a region that has a public hamam.
The Greeks and Romans had structures similar to hammams; it is entirely possible that a cultural exchange occurred throughout the Mediterranean, spreading the concept of the hamam in different societies. There are four main sections of a hammam: a warming room, a hot room, a cold plunge, and a cooling room. People move through these rooms sequentially, cleaning themselves, sweating out toxins, and of course exchanging gossip and information with other beachgoers.
The hamam is anything but a place to clean up. It is also a ritual bathing site and an opportunity for bathers to socially interact. In some regions of the Middle East, important events are still celebrated in the hamam; the gelim hammami, for example, is a visit to the hammam undertaken by brides before their wedding. Many rites of passage take place in the hamam, making it a central place in many communities. Even private palaces and large houses historically had their hammams for the exclusive use of their residents.
As a general rule, hamams are segregated by gender, but people from all walks of life and walks of life are welcome. Men and women attend different times or enter separate bathrooms. Once inside the hamam, people begin by warming up in a hot steam room before moving into the hot room. After a session in the hot room, the bather takes a cold dip and then exfoliates with the help of a rough glove. Many hammams also offer massages, and people can rub themselves with oils, shave, and perform other beauty tasks in the hammam.
After a cold dip and massage, bathers move into a cooling room to neutralize their body temperature before venturing out into the outside world. At all stages of the process, people talk to each other and offer assistance with bathing activities. Bathroom attendants are typically there to provide towels and other tools, along with massages. While in the hamam, many people wear traditional wooden sandals to keep their feet off the floor, and in some hamams, people also wear wraps on their bodies.
Many hamams in the Middle East are quite beautiful. Some are ancient and offer a fascinating insight into the history of Middle Eastern art and architecture. More modern hamams are often well designed to take pride of place in their communities and may include landscaped gardens, spaces for meditation and prayer, and sometimes a restaurant that also offers light snacks.
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